Welcome to GlobalVATOnline

PwC GlobalVATOnline is an online subscription service. It provides up-to-date business critical information on VAT/GST rates, rules and requirements around the world to help you maintain control, mitigate risk and improve the overall effectiveness of your VAT/GST function.

See what GVO can do for you

GlobeSearch

GlobeSearch is where we provide you with access to comprehensive, business critical information on VAT/GST rates, rules and requirements in over 80 countries, across six continents: Europe (including all 28 EU member states), North America, South America, Asia, Australia and Africa. All information is regularly updated by PwC VAT/GST specialists who reside in the countries and is accompanied by extensive supporting documentation such as copies of return forms, links to useful websites (e.g. tax authority websites) and more.

GlobeSearch

News

The VAT news service we offer assists you in keeping on top of important VAT/GST and customs duty developments from over 120 countries across six continents - Europe (including all EU Member States), North America, South America, Asia, Australia and Africa. This also includes commentaries on more recent proposals and current decided cases regarding global tax. Hyperlinks to applicable subjects, case law and necessary documentation is involved. You have also got the option to receive our weekly newsletter sent direct to your email inbox giving you an overview of the most recent developments and newsflashes, which inform you of breaking developments as and when they occur.

News

Powerful tools and services

This section contains a variety of tools and services aimed to ease the burden on Indirect Tax compliance functions. These include automation tools, reporting tools, filing tools, validation services and return and registration forms. Please use the drop down box below to see which tools and services are included in each subscription level.

Tools

New & Noteworthy

See all news

Marketplaces, online sellers, distance sellers and MOSS users - watch this space!

06 January 2020

The EU 2015 changes on B2C supply of services (telecom, broadcasting and e-services) and the introduction of the Mini One Stop Shop (MOSS) marked a major development in the area of VAT and e-commerce. The e-Commerce VAT package, adopted by the ECOFIN Council on 5 December 2017, picked up on these developments to introduce additional simplification measures for intra-EU sales of electronic services from 2019 onwards, and by 2021 will extend the Mini One-Stop Shop to a One Stop Shop to deal with distance sales of goods to EU consumers. Furthermore, new rules for electronic interfaces such as marketplaces or platforms are introduced, which deem them for VAT purposes (in certain scenarios) to be the supplier of goods sold to customers in the EU, and make them collect and pay the VAT on these sales. In December 2018, detailed implementation rules were published by the Commission in a 'Proposal for a Council Implementing Regulation' and a ‘Proposal for a Council Directive’ which were agreed at a political level at the March 2019 ECOFIN meeting. Both legal texts were formally adopted on 21 November 2019. And in a related move, the EU Council reached political agreement in November 2019 on a set of exchange of payment data rules giving Member States the right to access information collected by payment service providers, such as banks and payment institutions, with a view to assisting in the identification of online VAT fraud. These new rules are due to take effect from 1 January 2024.

2020 Tax Policy Outlook: Charting an Unfamiliar Path Forward

22 January 2020

Disruption, uncertainty and a lack of familiar guideposts draw a challenging landscape for the tax professional. As tax policy shifts, impacted by both US and global tax rules, the path forward becomes muddied. This uncertainty creates both challenges and opportunities. Although the debate surrounding ‘fair share’ has largely focused on ‘digital’ businesses, proposals to change the international tax system under consideration would apply more broadly. The debate over whether multinational enterprises pay an appropriate amount of tax in the countries in which they generate revenue has been a particular focus of certain governments and non-governmental organizations.

VAT Quick Fixes: No 4 Harmonised proof of Intra-EU supplies

23 March 2020

4. Harmonised proof of Intra-EU supplies The final quick fix attempts to harmonise the proof of transport rules for zero-rating Intra-EU supplies - ie, the means by which a supplier can evidence the fact that the goods were dispatched from one MS to another. MS currently have discretion as to the type of documentation they will accept as proof of transport which can lead to legal uncertainty and administrative complexity for businesses trading across the EU. Under the new rules, it will be presumed that the goods were transported to another MS as follows: Where the supplier arranges transport of the goods: ○ The supplier holds two items of non-contradictory transport evidence issued by independent parties - eg, signed CMR, bill of lading, transport invoice; or ○ The supplier holds one item of transport evidence and one other item of non-contradictory evidence such as transport insurance documentation, a bank statement proving transport payment, notary confirmation of arrival, warehouse confirmation of arrival. Where the customer arranges transport of the goods:○ The supplier holds the evidence set out above, plus written confirmation of the transport from the customer issued by the 10th of the following month and which refers to the MS of destination. The tax authorities can rebut the presumption in cases of abuse. Practical considerations The current proof of transport rules applied in national laws by MS remain valid. It should be the choice of the supplier, and not the choice of the tax authorities, to apply the proof of transport presumption as set out above. However, we wait to see whether any MS replace their current national law with the new presumption which looks difficult to satisfy in practice. The Notes highlight that if a supplier or customer use their own means of transport it will not be possible to meet the presumption since the condition of obtaining non-contradictory evidence issued by two different parties that are independent of each other cannot be satisfied. Although the Notes do not expand on this point, presumably the current proof of transport rules applied in national VAT law by individual MS would need to be fulfilled. Where the tax authorities’ wish to rebut the presumption, the burden of proof rests with the tax authorities. Questions for businesses to consider: 1. Do you currently face any issues when it comes to evidencing your Intra-EU supplies of goods based on the current VAT legislation applied in the MS of dispatch - ie, collecting and archiving appropriate documentation to provide to the tax authorities when requested?2. MS may react differently to the new rules and it will be important to understand how each MS implements these measures in law and in practice - do you have a plan for how you will keep up to date with the requirements? Next Steps In response to the nature and complexity of some of the forthcoming changes, businesses should consider the impact on their VAT compliance processes (including foreign VAT registrations, VAT refunds, documentation and evidence requirements), and supply chains in the following ways, in particular: 1. Do the new call-off stock rules impact on arrangements already in place, or do they present opportunities for implementing call-off stock arrangements going forwards?2. Do the new chain transactions provisions require analysis as to their impact on current supply chains, contracts and order processes between supplier and customer. 3. How best to review and validate VAT ID numbers held in the ERP master data now and on an ongoing periodic basis?4. Are the current processes and documentation obtained as proof of Intra-EU supplies sufficiently robust to substantiate zero-rating under audit conditions? In the meantime, we anticipate that by the end of the year all MS will have implemented the quick fix legislation into national law, although in some cases this may amount to no more than a straightforward reproduction (copy-paste) of the relevant piece of EU VAT law (Directive / Regulation) into the domestic statute book. We also expect the Commission’s Notes to be finalised towards the end of this year or at the beginning of 2020. Whilst the Notes should aid legal interpretation, it would also be wise to look out for specific MS guidance to understand how individual MS intend to implement and apply the rules in practice in their jurisdiction. Overall, the picture remains unclear in many areas and complex - as set out above, any significant changes to business operations and processes will need time and careful consideration for their efficient and effective execution. For a deeper discussion of how these issues might affect your business, please call your usual PwC indirect tax specialist or if you prefer to speak to one of our global indirect tax policy specialists, please contact: Tom Corbett, Dublin: +353 (1) 792 5462 tom.corbett@pwc.com